Coated articles are known in the art for use in window applications such as insulating glass (IG) window units, vehicle windows, and/or the like. It is known that in certain instances, it may be desirable to heat treat (e.g., thermally temper, heat bend and/or heat strengthen) such coated articles for purposes of tempering, bending, or the like.
Insulating glass (IG) windows are known in the art. Conventional IG window units include at least first and second glass substrates (one of which may have a solar control coating on an interior surface thereof) that are coupled to one another via at least one seal(s) or spacer(s). The resulting space or gap between the glass substrates may or may not be filled with gas and/or evacuated to a low pressure in different instances. Some IG window units are tempered. Thermal tempering of the glass substrates for such IG units typically requires heating the glass substrates to temperature(s) of at least about 580 degrees C. for a sufficient period of time to enable thermal tempering. Monolithic architectural windows for use in homes or building are also known in the art, and can include a coating supported by a glass substrate. Fixture windows in homes may be made of glass sheets. Such monolithic windows can also optionally be thermally tempered for safety purposes. Heat treatment (e.g., thermal tempering) of coated articles typically requires use of temperature(s) of at least 580 degrees C., more preferably of at least about 600 degrees C. and still more preferably of at least 620 degrees C.
In certain situations, designers of coated articles often strive for a combination of desirable visible transmission, desirable color, low reflectance, low emissivity (or emittance), and low sheet resistance (Rs). Low-emissivity (low-E) and low sheet resistance characteristics permit such coated articles to block significant amounts of IR radiation so as to reduce for example undesirable heating of vehicle or building interiors. Designers of coated articles also seek to have particular color appearances (e.g., when viewed from outside of a building or vehicle on/in which the coated article is mounted) and/or low visible reflectance. Typically, thick IR reflecting layers (e.g., silver based layers), while blocking IR, cause visible reflectance to increase. Thus, it the past it has been difficult to achieve a combination of good IR blockage and at the same time reduced or relatively low visible reflectance.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that there exists a need in the art for a coated article having one or more of desirable visible transmission, desirable color, low reflectance, low emissivity (or emittance), and/or low sheet resistance (Rs). In certain example embodiments, it will be apparent that there exists a need in the art for a coated article (e.g., for use in an IG window unit) which can achieve a combination of desirable color (e.g., desired a* and/or b* values), fairly low visible reflectance, low emissivity and/or sheet resistance, and desired visible transmission.